What Is the Significance of Eid Al-Adha?

Short Answer: The name of Eid al-Adha means "the Feast of Sacrifice". It is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah. For those who did not go to Hajj, this year--like most of us--it is celebrated as a feast. We begin with the prayers of Eid, then those who can afford it sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Prophet Abraham. _____________________________________ Salam Dear Sister, Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam. The day of Eid al-Adha is known all over the world as "Al-Eid Al-Kabir", or the Major Feast. It is distinguished from "Al-Eid&hellip;

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Merry

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Aug 21, 2018

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Hello, You have a nice informative page about your religion. I need to understand a lot about Islam. As for this feast when you do pilgrimage, you have too many rituals. This is whether you go for pilgrimage or not. Please give me a brief idea about the significance of Eid al-Adha. Thank you.

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Short Answer: The name of Eid al-Adha means “the Feast of Sacrifice”. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month of Dhul Hijjah. For those who did not go to Hajj, this year–like most of us–it is celebrated as a feast. We begin with the prayers of Eid, then those who can afford it sacrifice an animal in remembrance of Prophet Abraham.

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Salam Dear Sister,

Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.

The day of Eid al-Adha is known all over the world as “Al-Eid Al-Kabir“, or the Major Feast.

It is distinguished from “Al-EidAl-Saghir“, which is the Minor Feast, known also as Eid al-Fitr.

This is actually celebrated by Muslims two months and ten days before the Major Feast.

The word “Eid” means “a recurring festival”. The name of Eid al-Adha means “the Feast of Sacrifice”. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the lunar month of Dhul-Hijjah.

A Holy Journey

On the ninth day of Dhul-Hijjah, pilgrims proceed to the plains of the Mount of `Arafah, outside Makkah and they spend their time totally in worship.

This is the core of the worship of Hajj, without which no Hajj is said to have been performed. On that evening, pilgrims proceed from Arafah to Muzdalifah.

Early in the morning of the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrims having offered their prayers at Muzdalifah, proceed to the three pillars to cast seven stones at the symbols of Satan.

This ceremony of casting stones has been performed since the days of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (peace be upon him).

It is a ceremony which indicates that one should cast away the evil of Satan repeatedly and resolve never to listen to him again, nor to succumb to temptations.

In fact, the word for the casting process in Arabic is “rajm“, which means throwing of stones.

Then, pilgrims return to Mina, with a pure slate of mind and heart, where they perform the sacrifice of animals. This process commemorates the event when Prophet Ibrahim was about to sacrifice his most beloved treasure, his son…

It was his only son, whom he begot in old age after sincerely having implored Allah, for a son for a very long time.

It was Ismail–his beloved and righteous son–who was destined also to become a prophet. He is known as “Adh-dhabih“, or the chosen sacrifice of Allah.

Hajj is, in fact, considered a re-affirmation of the faith of Prophet Ibrahim, whom is considered the “father” of all prophets.